Center lock for bascule bridges



Ost-18,1927. L R ASH 1,646,340

CENTER Loox FQR BAsouLE BRIDGES Filed sept. 7, v192s 2 sneetss'neez ylja j.

A T'TORNE y Oct. 18, 1927.

L. R. ASH

CENTER LOCK FOR B'ASCULE BRIDGES Filed Sept. '7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNE y Patented Get. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

l f imane- Louis n. Asn, orfKANsas CITY, Missionar. f

lCENTER. LOCK soir Bassora BRIDGES;

Applicationled September 7,1926. Serial No. 133,755.

Myinventi'on relates to a lock for movable bridge-spans and more particularly toa device-*of4 tliatfchaiacter for use in connecf haveL provided,improved details of structure,V

the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical section of the meeting ends ofthe movable spans fof 'a bascule bridge equipped with my improvedlocking mechanism, the-lock housingy being in section *tol disclose the working parts. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the"meetingends u of'thespans, illustrating the series oflocks' and their operating mechanism.

Fig." 3 is an enlarged'vertical section of one ofthe locks `in functionalH position.

Fig. fl is an enlarged vertical section-'of' the lock` infnon-functional position, illustrating its operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a det-ail perspective view of'ak locking aw set witliji'ts actuator.

Fig.: Fig.. ,iov of the lock stops. Referring more in' detail to the drawings:

spans of a double'span basculebridge, the

mounting of the spans and their' *counterv weight-s for maintaining vthe.equilibrium aty the different posit-ions thereof being omitted [-5 for the reason that such'V partsmay be of any Vordinary and wellknown construction.

At various points throughout the'width of the span l are stop members 3, eachcomprising a plate l xed'to one'of the'structural members of the spanv by'rivets 5" or other suitable means, and' a head'6, pref# erably integral with the plate 4 and having flat upper and lower faces projecting'beyond the span 'for engagement `by` locking jaws with which the other spai'imember` is equipped.`

6 is a cross section on the line 6- l 7 is a. detail perspective view'of one" land 2'designate the meet-ingendsof the In order to provide uniformity of contact between .the locking jawsof all ofthe lockingI members and their `corresponding stops, I provide. each. shims 7 and with` wear? plates 8, removable from. the head' 'for replacement when the plates'havebecome worn and particularly when the'plateson the ditl'erentstop heads `have worn unevenly. i

f F or 'each of the stops-3 kon thespanl the span 2 is provided with armating each jawsetV being mountedv in a housing indicated by the body '9 attached :to a structuralL member of span 2 byboltsor the like lOand .comprising top and bottom plates' 11, l2 and side plate 13 (F ig. 6) spaced from" tliebody plate 9, the' body'plate 9 spacedplate 13 having l5 at about their centers for a purpose pres`A ently described.

Carried by and extended between the body plate 9 and spaced plate 13, near the front edge of the housingl and in line with the guide slots 1l and 15,is an` axle 16 and mounted on the .axle are jaws 17 and 18 which extend beyond the housing 'and pastv the edge of the span to grip the correspond# ing stops 6 on the mating span member.

and the Each of the jaws has'a countersinkr 19v atit-s`y rear outer corner and seatedin said countersinkand pivotally connected with the jaw-bya pin20 is a toggle link 22, the links on each jaw being spaced to'receive therebe-v tween the end of the mating toggle link 23 together with the togglelevers l 23 being pivotally Connectedy with the housing platesloy` a pin 24, and the links 22 andV 23 anduthe'eiids ofthe levers 25 being piv-v otally connected bya common pin 26. Thev levers 25 of the upper and lower jaws over` klapand'are pivota'lly connected `'by a. piny 27, carrying' nuts 28onitsrespective ends and secured thereto by Cotter keys 29. The nuts 28 are located in the guide slots 1l and l5 of the body' plate 9 and spaced housing plateland serve to Vanchor the pin and iiradditionto their function ofre'tainingthe toggle levers against spreading move# ment,` serve toanchor thepin 27 and the toggle levers against vertical movement and insuretravel thereof in a plane intersecting the 'j aw axis.

head 6 with one or more jaw set, f

guide slots llfand- 25, the link Also pivotally mounted on the toggle le'- i vers andthe pin'27 is thehead 30 of the tog^ gle actuator", .comprising aV tlireadedf'shank 31 wliichextends reari'vard'ly through a bearing 32 at the rear end of the housinff. Threaded onto the shank 31 is a sleeve having snug bearing in the bearing 32 and keyed to the sleeve at the inner end of the bearing is a gear wheel 84, preferably of the worm type. A leaf 35, integral with or fixed to the housing, forms a bearing for the actuator shankforwardly of the bearing 32 and also serves as an abutment for the hub of the gear wheel 34, thereby permitting the gear wheel to rotate betweenthe end of the bearing 32' and the leaf 35while preventing j movement of the gear wheel longitudinally in accordance with common with the actuator shank. Meshing with the gear wheel 8a is a gear wheel 3G fixed cna shaft 37 that extends transversely across the bridge span and is rotatably mounted in suitable. bearings 38 thereon. At `a suitable pointon the span, preferably at about the center thereof the shaft The motor may other elements practise and is adapted for control from a switch (not shown) that may vbe located at an attendants station at the end of the bridge or otherwise.

Assuming a bascule bridge ofthe double span type to Abe equipped with locking mechanism as above described, the operation is as follows: When the bridge is in t-raflic carrying position, the spans align and the locking jaws of each set grip the corresponding stops on the other spans to hold the spans firmly together. lvVhen the bridge 1s to be opened the attendant cuts in the motorto drive the line shaft, thereby effecting rotation erably of an electrical type. j be equipped with a brake or of the gear Wheels 3a in each ofthe locking sets, rotation of the gear Wheels carryingthe sleeves 33 around with them and the` sleeves working on the threaded shanks of the tog gle actuators moving the toggle levers from the aligning positions indicatedin Fig. "3 to the aligning` positions indicated inFig. 4t,

breaking the toggles 2Q, 23 and .spreading` the. locking jaws to release the stops 6. vWhen the jaws have been spread `as described the bridge is opened.` bridge is closed the attendant reverses the motor, straightening the to-gglelevers and closing the jaws vagainst their corresponding sto s.

'lllhe operation of all of the jaws of the lock units is synchronous and the locking of the spans at the spaced positions is uniform and will continue so through various suc ceeding operations, except `that some of the wear plates on the stops. might be of softer material, than those on other sequently deteriorate more quickly.. If this should happen, uniformity of the lock may bef again established by replacement of the wear plates to bring them back to gauge.

lInlliig. 3, I have shown the toggle links 37 is provided with a fixed gear wheel 39 which meshes with a` pinion i0 on the shaft all ofa motor 42, prefl Vhen the stops and coin-V "lock, such plates may be replaced and the contact of the jaws and A Should `all of the plates uniformity and close stops reestablished.

wear uniformly, the close contact between the'jaws and stops and uniformity oflocking is still maintained.

Should the wear I reach a point-where the toggle links when in a horizontal plane do not effect contact of the `jaws with the stops, all the plates should be renewed. j l

lVhile l have, for simplicity of description, specifically referred to the use of my improvement in connection with doublespan bascule bridges, it may be employed to ,ad-

vantage on single span bascule bridges or on j other types of bridges employing movable spans or decks.

What l claim and desire Yto secure by Letters Patent is l. In combination with separate'brdge,

span members, one movable relative to the other, a stop on oney of the members, a pair of jaws axially mounted on the other member to close against the stop, a pair of toggle links for each jaw member, one connected with the jaw member and the other with the span member, spreading levers for the to gle links, and an actuator forv the spreac ing levers. j j f i 2.111 combination. with separate bridge span members, one movable relative to the other, a stop on one of the members, a pair of jaws axially mounted on thel other member to close against the stop, a pairiof toggle links for each jaw member, one connectedv lll) lll

with the jaw member and the other with theV i v span member, pivotally connected spreading levers for the toggle links, an actuatorffor the links and means for guiding the, actuator in alixed path to effect opening and closing movement ofthe toggle links upon longitudinal movement of the actuator.

3. In combination with separate briddfe span members, one movable relative to tie other, al stop on one of the members, a pair of jaws axially mounted on the other mem` ber to close against the stop, a pair of toggle links for each jawinember, one connected with the j aw member and the other with the span member, spreading levers for the toggle links, and an actuator for the` spreading levers, having a screw-threaded shank, a gear wheel operable 'on'sai-d shank, means for" anchoring the gear wheel against movement with the actuator, and means'for .rotating the gear Wheel to effect longitudinal movement of the actuator.

4. In combination with separate bridge Spa-n members, one movable relative to the other, a stop on one of the members, a pair of jaws axially mounted on the other member to close against the stop, a pair or Vtoggle links for each jaw member, one connected with the jaw member and the other With the span member, spreading levers for the toggle links, an actuator for the spreading levers, and a wear plate removably mounted in the stop member.

5. In combination with separate bridge span members, one movable relative to the other, a stop on one of the members, a pair of jaws axially mounted on the other member to close against the stop, a pair of toggle links for each jaw member, one connected with the jaw member and the other With the span member, spreading levers for the toggle links, an actuator for the spreading levers, having an extended shank, a gear wheel operable on said shank, means for anchoring the gear Wheel against movement with the actuator, a gear wheel on the span member, a motor on the span member operatively connected with the last named gear wheel, and means for controlling the motor from a point remote therefrom.

6. In combination with separate bridge span members, one movable relative to the other, a plurality of stops on one of the members, corresponding locking jaw sets on `the other span member, toggle mechanism for each javv set, an actuator for each toggle mechanism. comprising a threaded shank,

lgear members threaded on said shank, means Wheels, and means for rotating the shaft to` open and close the javv sets in synchronism.

7. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a housing, a pair of jaws axially mounted in the housing, a pair of toggle links for each aw, oneoi the linksy of each pair connected with the jaw and the other with the housing, a lever for each toggle pair, an actuator comprising a hea-d and a threaded shank, the head pivotally connected with the toggle levers, the housing having guide portionsv and the toggle levers provided with guide members, co-operative to insure travel of the lever axis in a fixed path, a sleeve threaded on the actuator shank, a` gear wheel iixed on sai-d sleeve, means for anchoring the sleeve and gear wheel against movement longitudinally with the actuator, and means for actuatingthe gear Wheel. v

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

LOUIS R. ASH. 

